Gold at the table

Nestle a candle in popcorn kernels.

Drink a local beer at a brewpub, such as the award-winning Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery in Flossmoor, Illinois (flossmoorstation.com); or quaff one at Oktoberfest, such as the Midwest Deutsche Oktoberfest held in September in Hays, Kansas (midwestdeutschefest.com).

Apples, shrubs and trees

Visit an orchard to fill a bushel basket with juicy apples. Red Delicious apples (shown here) are a year-round favorite, but fall in the Midwest also brings a few weeks of sweet-tart Honeycrisp apples, bred by the University of Minnesota.